Collaborative Research: Settlement Site Location and Development of an Estuarine Crustacean: Response to Chemical and Current Cues

许多河口甲壳类有浮游幼虫，这些幼虫在海岸/陆架地区发育，然后作为仔鱼返回河口。这项研究旨在检验河口甲壳类利用化学和物理线索(1)在河口上游运输、定居和变态后幼虫(大孔目)和(2)在特定生境中滞留和幼虫(J1-J3龄)的假说。以青蟹为代表物种，首先在化学选择管中测试刺激性和抑制性化学线索，以确定可能与栖息地位置有关的行为反应的有效浓度范围。用桨轮水槽进行进一步的实验室实验，将研究在真实流动条件、化学线索和结构存在的情况下，沉降点的位置、行为和沉降。最后，将确定刺激和抑制线索对变态的影响。这些信息将有助于更好地了解成功完成一些河口甲壳类动物生命周期的幼体后阶段和幼体早期阶段所需的条件，并制定从浮游阶段(幼体)到幼体在托儿所栖息地以底栖生物为主的过渡期间对环境刺激的行为反应的综合描述模型。

Forward Many estuarine crustaceans have planktonic larvae that develop in coastal/shelf areas and then return to estuaries as postlarvae. This study is designed to test the hypothesis that estuarine crustaceans use chemical and physical cues (1) for up-estuary transport, settlement, and metamorphosis of postlarvae (megalopae) and (2) for retention and juveniles (J1-J3 instars) in specific habitats. Using the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, as a representative species, stimulatory and inhibitory chemical cues will first be tested in a chemical choice tube to determine effective concentration ranges for behavioral responses that are potentially involved in habitat location. Further laboratory experiments with a paddle wheel flume will study settlement site location behavior and settlement in the presence of realistic flow conditions, chemical cues and structure. Finally, the effects of stimulatory and inhibitory cues on metamorphosis will be determined. This information will permit a better understanding of the conditions necessary for successful completion of the postlarval and early juvenile phases of the life cycle of some estuarine crustaceans and the development of an integrative descriptive model of the behavioral responses to environmental stimuli during the transition from a planktonic phase (postlarval) to a mostly benthic existence as a juvenile in a nursery habitat.